Repercussions:  The Gargoyle Way
by Aesop
Summary: Gargoyles 15.  The New York gargoyles begin to learn that the new additions to their clan are going to pose more of a challenge than anticipated.


**REPERCUSSIONS: The Gargoyle Way**

By Aesop

I don't own the characters from the Gargoyles TV show, or those introduced in the fic series 'Gargoyle Saga'. I'm using them without permission, but I earn no profit by writing this.

"This feels wrong Elisa," Goliath rumbled, his expression troubled. Elisa nodded, understanding and agreeing. "We should not be prying in this manner." He frowned at the videotape he held, not knowing what to do.

"Right now Goliath, we're at a loss as to how to cope with the twins. We know next to nothing about what Sevarius put them through. This could give us valuable information, perhaps even a clue as to where he's gone." Even as she said it, she knew there was little chance of that. He was hardly likely to drop hints about a secret hideout to his prisoners.

"The police still can not find him?"

Elisa shook her head, clearly frustrated. "Not a trace. It's like he's dropped off the face of the planet." She nodded at the tape he held. "That was taken from the office where the twins were kept. There were cameras hidden in the rooms where the children were locked up, and we found the monitor and several tapes in a small kitchen. Chavez managed to get me one of them."

"They've already been viewed?"

"Yes, by the psychologist at the precinct, you remember Dr. Pak?" Goliath nodded. "Child psychology isn't really his area of expertise, but this is a criminal matter and…"

"It is evidence," Goliath rumbled, clearly unhappy with the situation. Elisa nodded. "I understand how you feel, Goliath, but… we're flying blind. Susan blew up at me on our way back here after meeting with her parents, and I can't figure out why. Both of them are so touchy and we've spent the last three days walking on eggshells around them. Dr. Pak suggested we see this, and I think it's a good idea. Any clue we can get as to how to help them should be welcome at this point even if it does mean invading their privacy a bit."

"They are clan," Goliath gave a rumbling sigh, coming to a conclusion, "and helping them is our responsibility."

Elisa nodded. "They're clan, even if they do come by it in a very weird way." Pressing the tape into his hand she looked at him earnestly. "I think you and Hudson should watch. It won't be easy," she shuddered, "but I think you need to see it. If for no other reasons than to know what lies they were told."

"Very well my Elisa. Hudson and I will watch the tape." Elisa nodded, feeling oddly relieved to have the tape out of her hands.

"You might want to have Angela join you." She raised a hand to forestall questions. "You'll see why." Glancing around for the clan leader's daughter she noticed that the gargoyle's section of the castle was rather quiet. "Where are they anyway?"

"Brooklyn is giving them gliding lessons. If they are to be in their current form forever, they should learn to live as gargoyles…"

"And they might see gliding as the best part of the deal," Elisa nodded. She smiled wistfully. "I remember the night I had as a gargoyle. Even if the rest of the night hadn't been like a large-pizza-with-everything-right-before-bed induced nightmare, I'd remember gliding as the best part." At his curious expression she amended her words. Stretching up on her toes, she gave him a quick kiss. "Check that. I remember gliding with you as the best part."

Goliath smiled despite himself. She could always do that to him. "There is no reason we cannot still glide together," he offered, stroking her cheek gently.

"We'll make time for it soon big guy, I promise." He nodded, knowing that they both had work to do. She was due on duty in less than an hour, and he had the twins' tape to watch.

He collected Angela from the library and found Hudson watching TV and explained the situation to them. Angela said nothing, but it was clear that she didn't look forward to watching the tape. Hudson nodded silently, a grave expression on his face. He clearly shared his leader's reservations, but he knew that it was necessary as well. Putting the tape on, he reclined in his armchair while Goliath and Angela remained standing.

OOOOOOOOOO

_Have to admit, this feels good_, Susan thought as she turned into an updraft and let it carry her higher. Drawing in her legs and kicking out in front of her, she did a backward somersault in midair. She started to drop as soon as her wings lost purchase on the air currents, but she only dropped a few feet before snapping her wings open and again soaring back to her previous altitude.

"Show off," her brother called as he glided nearby. He had steered around the updraft, and remained level in his flight. The grin on his face belied his words; he was enjoying the flight as much as she was. Flying, both agreed, was the best part of being a gargoyle. It didn't change the fact that they both desperately wanted to be back in their natural forms, but they both agreed that flying was fun.

"You two learn fast," Brooklyn called, watching them from where he glided above. So far it hadn't been necessary to catch either of them. There had been close calls, but they had managed to recover on their own. It surprised him and made him a little jealous. He hadn't done this well when learning to fly.

They had kept close to the castle, but the twins were already beginning to range outward. Brooklyn found himself marveling at the difference. They moved with ease through the air and seemed to perform almost any physical action with remarkable ease. It was only when they stopped to think about their situation that they became awkward.

Sean kept shifting his wings when he was on the ground as if they were a jacket that didn't fit quite right. He had been heard growling in frustration as he tried to find a comfortable position for them. Susan had more trouble with her tail than her wings, having already broken two vases and three lamps by knocking over tables. It was frustrating, but they reacted out of proportion, becoming either furious or inconsolable, none of the clan could guess which ahead of time.

To make matters worse, the twins still didn't fully trust the clan. _It's been less than a week_, one part of Brooklyn thought reasonably. Another part of him grew frustrated at their lack of progress in that respect. Sevarius had spun his lies carefully, and the twins didn't know what to believe. They wouldn't talk about it either, _most likely_, Brooklyn thought sourly, _because they don't trust us enough to tell us what Sevarius said, cause then we'd know what lies to tell them_.

Brooklyn could understand their caution. He would feel the same way in their situation. Knowing that didn't help, though, it didn't help at all. Remembering his own distrust of Demona helped him to be patient, but it was clear that it was going to be a long road.

For one thing, a thing that was especially frustrating to Hudson and Goliath, they showed no interest in the gargoyle half of their lineage. History and tradition meant nothing to them as they both maintained that they would soon be human again. At one point Sean had pushed Goliath's temper nearly to the breaking point by interrupting an oft-repeated speech about gargoyle duty and tradition to ask why it should matter to him. He wasn't a gargoyle and wasn't going to look like one for long, so why did he have to learn 'all that crap?'

The only ones they seemed friendly towards were Brooklyn's own children. Arianna and Graeme were making every effort to be nice to them, including them in their activities, and Sean and Susan responded. Sean was a bit more enthusiastic about the warrior training than his sister, but males usually were. His own children's upbringing had not been anything like his own. He and Sata had drilled into them the fundamentals; loyalty to the clan, defend your home and family. Duty to the clan and protectorate came before all other considerations.

He and Sata had both learned this from birth, and they did their best to teach the twins what they could of this code, but reality often intruded unpleasantly. Many times they had had no place to call home. Itinerate wandering through time could do that to a person. Still they hadn't done too badly, he thought. Ari and Graeme took their responsibilities seriously. Patrolling, and risking their lives for others, even those who were terrified of them or reacted violently to them, was something they did without question. That was how they had been raised. Sean and Susan didn't have that. They didn't understand the gargoyle way and saw no reason why they should.

Brooklyn watched them move about the towers of the castle with growing confidence. They could be fine warriors someday, he reflected, especially in light of what Fox had told them. The evening after they arrived she had taken Goliath and Brooklyn aside while Broadway convinced the new arrivals to help him in the kitchen.

Her description of the scene in the gym had disturbed both of them, because while it was true that, even as hatchling, gargoyles were typically stronger than humans, the feats that she described should have been beyond them. Both seemed exceptionally strong, with endurance to match. Fox hadn't been angry about the condition of the gym; she had been concerned for the Sean, his sister, and the clan.

There was clearly more to them than met the eye. Brooklyn only hoped that whatever they eventually became, because of Sevarius' handiwork, they could cope with it, all of them. It was a potential problem, he knew, but only if Sean and Susan didn't get their wish to be human again. If they were stuck as gargoyles though… He realized he was thinking in circles. _Nothing we can do but help them adjust, and hope for the best_.

OOOOOOOOOO

"What about you? Tell me about the foster home." Susan, still human in this section of the tape, listened to her brother's tales of life as an orphan. He told her about the various homes, sharing with her and his unseen audience, all of the gritty details of life in the foster care system.

"Humans truly treat their children in such a manner?" Hudson's tone straddled the line between outraged and incredulous. Goliath didn't reply, but glanced at Angela to gauge her feelings on the matter. The sympathy he saw on her face was heartening, Angela was one of the most compassionate people he knew, but he also knew that displaying that sympathy to the children, Sean especially, would be a mistake. Making a mental note to speak to her about it he turned back and watched the screen impassively.

All three ground their teeth silently as Sevarius entered the room. They had seen his performance earlier, and his acting was as bad as ever. The lies he told them were outrageous, ridiculous. It was hard to remember that Sean and Susan knew nothing about gargoyles, and the tales Sevarius told were no worse than those the Quarrymen had spread.

"Small wonder they distrust us," Goliath concluded heavily, not sure how to proceed. "All they know of gargoyles comes from the Quarrymen's lies that they've heard on the television and this vermin's stories. I do not believe they fully accept his version of events, but they do not know what to believe anymore, and mere words will not convince them."

"So what do we do father? Try to convince them of the truth?"

"Pretty words and 'public relations' were never the gargoyle way lass."

Goliath glanced at his teacher and nodded. "It is time to let actions speak louder than words. They will begin to learn tonight what it means to be a gargoyle."

OOOOOOOOOO

Goliath landed on the tower near where Sean was taking a brief rest. "How are your lessons proceeding?"

"Er, fine." He had been wary of Goliath's temper since the gargoyle leader's last lecture on 'the gargoyle way.'

"Excellent. I think its time you got a gargoyle's-eye-view of the city." Sean looked doubtful, but he couldn't very well refuse. It was a chance to do some more gliding, even if he did have to tolerate the holier-than-thou attitude of the gargoyle leader.

Susan landed nearby and approached cautiously, hoping the two weren't arguing again. "Everything ok?" she asked hesitantly when she realized neither one was shouting or glaring. Sean nodded.

"Goliath wants us to come with him on a tour of the city."

"Indeed," Goliath nodded. "There are things you both need to see, and the city from the air is quite different from the city on the ground. It is time you begin to learn your way around from the air."

Brooklyn waved to them as they left, Goliath having signaled him that he would take over their lessons for the night. He frowned after them, hoping that Goliath knew what he was letting himself in for. Sean's attitude, Brooklyn had seen, could be a real problem, and while Goliath would never hurt either of them, he could be intimidating without even trying. Sean had already proven himself capable of angering the big gargoyle.

"Hope for the best," he sighed, watching them go.

"What Brooklyn?" Angela had come onto the parapet silently and was watching them go with a troubled expression.

"Hm?" Brooklyn looked over, startled to find her there. "Oh, nothing. Goliath is giving them a tour. I'm not sure it's a good idea, Sean and Goliath have… had disagreements."

"Then its best to work them out, isn't it?" Angela answered. She looked off into the distance, a slight frown on her face.

"What's up?" Brooklyn asked, having finally noticed her frame of mind. "You okay?"

"Oh. Yes, I'm fine Brooklyn…. Just thinking about them. They're my brother and sister after all. I…I'm not sure how to feel about them. I mean what happened to mother was terrible, but they can't be blamed. Lex told me how mother reacted. I thought I might try talking to her, but… I guess I don't understand."

Brooklyn frowned over this for a moment. "They remind her of something she doesn't want to remember. We've seen rape victims, even rescued a few in the park, remember?"

Angela nodded. "It was worse for mother wasn't it?" Brooklyn nodded. "I can't imagine one person doing that to another."

"I don't know what to tell you about your mother," Brooklyn sighed after a moment. "Either she'll come around or she won't, but there's no reason you can't be a big sister to them. I think they could use all the family ties they can get."

Angela's mind flashed back to the video, and the twins' conversation, and she nodded. That was certainly true, especially of Sean. She nodded slowly. "Yes. They will. I can answer some questions they'll have." It still felt strange, having these two simply pop up in her life, but they were family and she would do everything she could to make them feel welcome. That resolution firmly in mind, she went to prepare for their return.

OOOOOOOOOO

Sean watched Goliath out of the corner of his eye, keeping a respectable distance between them. Susan flew on the clan leader's other side as she scanned the streets below. It was a fairly quiet night and the headset Goliath wore only interrupted twice. Each time one of the other clan members was closer and responded to the problem.

"For a time after our arrival in this city, we were without purpose," Goliath explained. "We merely existed. It was not until we rediscovered our purpose, our duty; that we began to live again. A gargoyle lives to protect and that is half of your heritage even if you do not choose to acknowledge your gargoyle lineage."

_Not a lot of choice these days_, Sean griped silently, knowing better than to say it out loud.

"This island city is our protectorate, and we have made it our work to protect the people who live here. In Scotland, a thousand years ago, the task was different. Our primary concern was external threats, invaders trying to seize the castle for their own and loot it. Today, we deal with internal threats, criminals within the city who prey upon other citizens."

They had arrived over Central Park while he spoke and, out of habit, Goliath flew lower, the better to pick up on any criminal activity in the park. "This park can be a dangerous place at night. It is not too much of an exaggeration to say that those who venture here after dark risk their lives. Nevertheless, people do venture through here at night, whether it is necessity or convenience that brings them, it is our duty to keep them safe." He abruptly stopped talking, having spotted something below. "Wait here," he commanded and dove toward the ground.

Susan and Sean watched, with growing interest as Goliath landed between three knife wielding teenagers and a jogger who didn't look the least surprised at the gargoyle's sudden appearance. The three backed off initially, but then seemed to rally.

"I guess gargoyles aren't as intimidating as they used to be," Sean smirked as one of them rushed Goliath with his knife, swinging low.

"Guess not," Susan agreed, "but it doesn't make what they're doing smart." Her words proved prophetic as the gargoyle leader grabbed the man's arm in a crushing grip and forced him to drop his weapon. Lifting his assailant by that same arm he hurled him towards two of his oncoming friends.

Sean's attention began to wander as he waited, his circling taking him farther from the combat than Goliath perhaps intended. He marveled at how acute his senses had become. He could make out details that strictly human eyes could never have perceived. It was the only reason he saw the struggle only 20 or so yards from the spot where Goliath was fighting the would-be muggers. Susan gasped at the sight.

Sean glanced at his sister; apparently she could see what was happening as clearly as he could. A man had, after a brief struggle, managed to pin a young woman to the ground. He held her wrists at a painful angle behind her back with one hand while the other was working at her skirt with what looked like a pair of sharp scissors.

Sean had seen enough. He dove toward the man with Susan only a second behind. Unlike Goliath, neither roared as they attacked. The man, who had just succeeded dropping his pants, suddenly found himself lifted off his feet and flung into the bushes. He cried out in pain and surprise as he landed awkwardly and began trying to free himself from the clutching branches.

A moment later he had help as Sean grabbed his collar and yanked "Aaaaggh!" The man hit the ground several feet away, but managed to scramble to his feet and get his pants back up.

Susan helped the woman to her feet. Her skirt was beyond repair and she had to hold closed the cuts he had made with the scissors to keep herself covered. The woman backed away from Susan, frightened at first, but she took a closer look at the creatures that had rescued her. They were, she realized, children, roughly the age of her own son. A loud yell of surprise and pain drew their attention.

Monica backed away hastily as she saw the man who had tried to rape her get to his feet. The boy seemed unconcerned; in fact, he seemed furious more than anything else. She and the girl, apparently his sister if coloring was any indication, watched as the man clenched his fists and ran at Sean, seeing that he was only a child.

She shouted a warning to him, but the boy ignored her and met the charge eagerly. He couldn't win, she knew, the man was more than twice his size. Her jaw dropped at what happened next.

Sean heard the woman call to him to get away, but he ignored her. On an almost instinctual level he knew that the man didn't pose a threat to him. As he watched, the attack seemed to slow, almost as if he was watching videotape moving forward at half-speed.

Stepping slightly to the side, Sean turned and leaned slightly to avoid the man's fists. A punch to the back sent the man stumbling past him with a cry of pain, and Sean was vaguely aware of feeling the man's ribs give way. He moved to follow up the attack, landing kick to the gut as the man went down.

Desperate now, the man scrambled to his feet despite the pain of his broken ribs, adrenaline coursing through his system. He just wanted to get away at this point, but it quickly became clear to him that the gargoyle wasn't going to let that happen.

"You don't do that to people," it yelled at him. "What happens next? Even think about it?" The gargoyle was suddenly in front of him, and he hadn't even seemed to move. "Forcing her is bad enough! What happens next? You don't even care! Does she get sick? Die? Does she get stuck with a baby she doesn't want?" He spun and lashed out with his tail.

Susan's eyes widened at her brother's words. "What happens then?" he shouted. "People like you don't even care about that. About her, or any kid she might have, nothing matters to you but you!" Even from her place across the clearing she could hear bone snap when Sean's tail took the man's legs from under him.

The man hit the ground howling in pain, but Sean barely heard it; all he knew was that his enemy was down, vulnerable. And it had been so easy. The man moved like he was stuck in tar.

One part of his mind wondered about that, knowing that something wasn't right. Mostly though, he just felt angry with the man, at his actions and what they said about him. Sean wanted to hurt him, badly. It was people like this who had used his mother, had put her through hell for their own sick interests.

If that hadn't happened, the enraged part of him thought… He really couldn't follow the thought though. Rationality seemed to have abandoned him. Although he was aware of this on one level, he really couldn't make himself care.

"Enough!" The voice barely registered as he raised a foot over the man's head. A pair of strong hands seized him and lifted him away before he could deliver a killing blow. Sean snarled and twisted, lashing out with his tail, but he was held tight. "Stop this Sean. He is beaten."

"Sean, please!" Susan called from her place next to the woman who was looking on in a mixture of horror and fascination. She stepped forward, catching Sean's eye.

"It's alright. He can't hurt me or anyone else now. Let the police take him." Sean calmed himself and Goliath set him on his feet. "Thank you."

"Um, no problem," Sean mumbled as he looked around, suddenly confused by what had come over him. He focused briefly on the woman's attacker and his eyes flared white for a second. "You gonna be okay?" She nodded.

"I'm Monica. Thank you for helping me." Sean and Susan nodded and smiled, not noticing the look of surprise that flickered across Goliath's face. He wasn't used to being thanked. Pulling a radio link from the pouch at his belt, he made a call to Elisa.

"The police will be here soon. Although they have grown accustomed to us, it might be best if we were not here when they arrive."

"Go on then," Monica smiled at him. "I'll be fine. I doubt he's much of a threat anymore." She smiled at the twins. "Really. Go on."

Susan smiled back and nodded. She and Sean followed Goliath to the top of the largest tree in the area and they managed to take flight from there. The clan leader's expression was grim as he led the way back to the castle. Sean's reaction concerned him greatly. It had been far out of proportion to the threat the man posed. Whatever problems Sean had that had led to that scene would need to be dealt with, and soon.

On returning to the castle, Goliath suggested that the twins get something to eat and went to find Hudson. He found his mentor watching television, and related to him the details of their 'tour' of the city.

"I've noticed the lad is stronger than a normal hatchling, Tha's clear enough fro' the one training session we've had." He considered. "Are ye sure ye aren't making too much of this? He has a temper, and I'll work on that with him. An angry warrior makes mistakes that can get him killed."

"He was not fighting like a berserker," Goliath disagreed. "Each movement was well calculated. It looked almost… casual."

"Hmm." Hudson frowned at that. "I'll work with the lad, see what I can make of this, but its not what he can do that should worry you lad."

"I know," his former second-in-command sighed. "It is what he is willing to do. I believe he would have killed that man had I not intervened. I am unclear as to how to proceed though. I know only that he needs to learn his limits. We capture criminals, we do not execute them."

"Aye," Hudson nodded. "That is the most important task at hand. It's not the only one though." Goliath nodded. "Best speak to Elisa lad. She's not going to be happy."

OOOOOOOOOO

Elisa signed off on the last bit of paperwork for the hospital and sighed. "This is going to be bad." Matt nodded, "What the hell happened out there?" Elisa fumed as they left the hospital.

"It doesn't look like he's going to be able to tell us for a while," Matt observed. "Best talk to the woman he attacked. What did you make of her statement?"

"Kind of evasive. Question is why?"

"Well part of it was clear enough. The man tried to rape her and two gargoyles intervened."

"Why do so much damage though?" she asked as she slid behind the wheel of her car and started the engine. Matt didn't bother to respond, not knowing any better than she did. "Lets go find out."

The drive to Xanatos' building was made in silence. Elisa looked pensive and Matt knew better than to disturb her. She had to work through what she was feeling on her own. Trying to puzzle out the gargoyle's motive in nearly killing the man was pointless. Goliath would have the answers or he would get them.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Three broken ribs, compound fracture of left leg, internal bleeding from a blow to the stomach, and assorted cuts and bruises, some of the cuts needed stitches. You want me to go on?"

"No, my Elisa. I'm aware of what happened. I saw it."

Elisa's eyes widened at this news. Getting a grip on her emotions she asked the questions that she had come to ask. "Goliath, what happened? I can't believe that guy could give any one of the clan enough trouble that this would be necessary." Goliath was silent for a moment, struggling to find a way of breaking the news to her. "Goliath?"

Sighing heavily, the clan leader met her eyes. "I had taken Sean and Susan out on patrol. I told them to wait while I broke up a mugging. While they waited they spotted another crime in progress and intervened. Sean caused the man's injuries." Elisa's jaw dropped. "He was enraged by the man's actions which would have been bad enough, but the boy's strength is far beyond the norm for a gargoyle his age."

"So this was an accident? He didn't mean to-" Goliath shook his head.

"He would have done worse had I not arrived in time. I believe he was prepared to kill that man. I…" He shook his head in a mixture of resignation and bewilderment. "I do not know how to proceed. His reaction to the situation was far out of proportion. Teaching him control is of paramount importance, but I find myself wondering."

"What?" Elisa asked with a sinking feeling that she knew what he was thinking.

"What if it was not merely a case of losing his temper? I saw him fight. He was, physically at any rate, in control. His actions and reactions were like those of a seasoned warrior. What if Sevarius is somehow responsible for his abilities and reactions? Will he take such drastic action in every battle?"

Elisa didn't answer for a moment, silently absorbing Goliath's news. There was a lot to consider, and not just the twins' welfare. Public backlash if the truth got out was only part of the problem, and not one she could even consider at the moment. The first order of business was ensuring that it did not happen again. A possible solution was right there in the castle, but they all needed to believe it was _the_ solution. "Not if he's well trained," Elisa said with conviction. "If anyone can help him overcome this, its this clan, his family. Sata might be able to help. She teaches Graeme and Arianna Bushido. Perhaps she can help train Sean and Susan as well. One of the things Bushido stresses is self-discipline. It sounds like Sean could use some." Goliath nodded. "It won't be easy, especially if you're right about Sevarius. It makes a certain amount of sense if they were intended to be used as weapons." She shook her head, preferring not to follow that line of thinking too far. "It can be done. More than that, it has to be done."

"True," the big gargoyle rumbled. "Too many incidents like this could turn the public against us, and I may not always be there to intervene."

"He can't go on patrol with the clan until he gets this under control," Elisa agreed. "I'll speak to Sata. Did you seed that tape?" Goliath nodded solemnly. He still wasn't comfortable with having done so, but the evening's events had convinced him that he needed to know as much about the clan's newest members as he could.

Elisa knew the twins would be in the in the clan's quarters, relaxing and being distracted by Broadway and Brooklyn's children. Tom would be there too, and Elisa wished she had time to drop in for a visit. Too little time, it was an eternal complaint for parents she was sure, but right now there were other children that needed her attention. She found Sata in the kitchen preparing a meal. "Sata?"

"Elisa," the Japanese gargoyle smiled. "Will you be joining us for evening meal?"

"Actually, I need to speak to you. It's about Sean and Susan."

"Of course," she nodded, noting Elisa's grave expression. "Has something happened?" They sat at the table and Elisa told her the entire story, the attempted rape, the twins' intervention, and the condition Sean had left the man in. She told Sata of Goliath's suspicions and she made her request. Sata listened without interruption, finally sitting back with a thoughtful look on her face. "Of course I will teach them Elisa. It is part of my duty to the clan even if the clan leader's suspicions are proven incorrect. However," she frowned, "I don't believe they are. I know nothing of genetic manipulation, in the time when I was hatched the concept didn't even exist, but I have trained young warriors for many years, and I have never seen hatchlings so young possessed of the kind of strength, endurance, and skill they have shown."

"So you think Goliath may be right about this? That Sevarius did something to… enhance them?" Sata was dubious, but she had heard the stories about Sevarius, and was willing to believe that it was possible. She nodded.

"It is reasonable. I will ask them to join our lesson tomorrow night."

"Thanks." She glanced up as Brooklyn came in and caught a look at the clock. "I gotta get back," she said, pushing herself to her feet. "There's still some damage control to do over this. I've got the night off tomorrow. See you all for dinner?"

The Japanese gargoyle smiled and nodded, and Elisa left to return to work. Damage control was something of an understatement. The woman was being vague, the would-be rapist would be yelling for a lawyer as soon as he woke up and there was a huge chance that he would end up walking, and there wasn't a lot Elisa could do about it without landing herself in hot water. She couldn't be seen to, or even suspected of, coaching a victim, and that was what it would take to get a statement out of her that a defense attorney wouldn't shred. _Its gonna be a looong night_.

OOOOOOOOOO

"Can we talk lad?" Hudson settled into his chair and watched Sean watching a rerun on TV.

"What about?" The boy barely glanced at the old gargoyle.

"What happened tonight? I hear you fought well." This got Sean's attention. "How did it happen?"

Sean shrugged, curiously, he didn't feel like bragging, but he didn't mind the acknowledgement either. "I saw him attack the woman. He was going to hurt her. I stopped him."

"He put up a fight," Hudson prompted. The boy snorted, derisively. "Bigger'n you?"

"Yeah, but he moved like molasses," Sean said, letting himself be drawn out. "It was easy, and he deserved it," the boy added in case their was any doubt in the clan elder's mind.

"So I heard," Hudson nodded gravely. "He had no right..."

"Damn right," the boy said hotly. "How can people do that to each other?"

Hudson sighed, shaking his head. "Some people are jus' wrong in the head lad. I don't try to figure it out. Its people like that we protect the city from." Sean looked straight at him for the first time. "A gargoyle's duty is to protect. Comes natural to us. It grates that so many people don't understand that."

"What?"

"People lad. The humans don't understand that we're trying to help. I remember our first few months in this city. People we rescued would run screaming from us."

"That musta sucked," Sean observed feeling a flash of sympathy.

Hudson chuckled and shook his head. "It took time, but people are getting used to us. There are still plenty though, who don't trust us, who run when we try to help. We try not to give 'em a reason."

"How's that working out?" Sean asked, losing interest in the conversation, sensing he was being set up for something.

"Not bad. People know we only go after the criminals… Well most of them know that." Hudson gave a rueful shake of his head. "More importantly they know that we may treat 'em rough if they fight us, but we don't kill."

_Here it comes, _Sean thought_. The real reason he wanted to 'talk.'_ "You think I shouldn't have beaten him up?" Sean felt his temper rise. "Think I shoulda just yelled 'Stop or I'll tell on you?'"

"Didna say that Sean. An impression needed to be made on tha' scoundrel and ye made one. When he gets out, he'll think twice before goin' after another girl like that."

"When he gets out is the problem," Sean growled. "He doesn't deserve to get off, anymore than those men who captured my mother did!"

_Ahh, _Hudson realized_. Here it is_. "Your mother?"

"Demona. They told you didn't they?" Hudson nodded slowly, beginning to understand. Demona had been foully treated by her captors; beaten into submission and experimented on. She had been raped after a fashion. The only thing that gave him pause was the notion of Demona being a mother to the boy. He simply couldn't see the hot-tempered female playing the part.

"Demona…" he sighed. "She's had a rough life lad. I understand yer anger, but we still have to learn to look beyond the moment. He deserved thrashing no doubt, but-"

"No 'buts!'" Sean interrupted. "Its people like him who-" Sean shut his mouth. Why was he justifying himself to the old fart? He didn't have to talk to him or listen to him.

"Who hurt your mother?" Hudson finished quietly.

Sean stood abruptly. _This is crap_. He wasn't going to talk about this. Turning on his heel, he stalked out.

"Who made her not want you?" Hudson asked the empty room. The clan elder shook his head sadly. This wasn't going to be easy. After being bounced from one place to another, without a true home or family, thinking that he had been abandoned, thinking he wasn't wanted anywhere, he had found not only his clan but his biological mother as well. It didn't make for what the humans would call a 'storybook ending' though.

His biological mother. Such things were important to the humans, he knew, and he appreciated the advantages, but it still, after so much time in this modern age, seemed strange to him, especially when he saw gargoyles forming family units rather than maintaining the old clan structure.

Where to begin with the boy? Perhaps Elisa would know.

OOOOOOOOOO

Angela asked to speak with Elisa privately when she arrived to spend her night off with the clan. Elisa knew what she wanted to talk about and wasn't surprised when the young gargoyle led her into the room where she, Goliath, and Hudson had watched the tape.

"What do we do Elisa?" Angela looked at the human woman in confusion. The tape had indeed been… enlightening. They now knew what Sevarius had told them. Both she and her father had restrained growls at several points over the lies the geneticist had spun, both knowing that it was pointless.

Neither of the children had trusted or entirely believed what they had been told, but the lies were still there, making them wonder, making them doubt and mistrust the gargoyles. "I guess," Elisa began hesitantly, "we begin at the beginning. Show them that what they've been told isn't true."

"This tape-"

"Goliath and I talked about it. We don't think they should know about it." Elisa raised a hand to forestall Angela's objections. "I don't like it, but if they know about the tapes Sevarius made, let alone that we had seen any of them, they might think we're just trying to refute what he told them and that will make them suspicious."

"Because…we know what they were told?" Angela sounded unsure. "I suppose."

"I don't like having to think that way Angela," Elisa assured her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, but I deal with people every day who have something to hide, whether they've done something wrong or not. Sometimes you have to hold back a bit of the truth to accomplish your goal, whether that's preventing a crime, solving one, or just getting someone to trust you when they need to trust you."

"Compromises," Goliath nodded unhappily as he joined them. "I am not comfortable with it either Angela, but Elisa is correct. They need to trust us."

"And we get them to trust us by not telling them we've seen this?" She gestured at the VCR. "I know you're right, but I still don't like it. I don't like the whole situation." She stared at the blank screen a moment. "Sevarius…" and this time a growl did find its way into her voice.

"We'll find him," Elisa assured her.

OOOOOOOOOO

Graeme hit the ground with a loud "oof!" but was on his feet again almost at once. "Good one. Where'd you pick that up?"

"It felt like it would work," Sean shrugged. He readied himself for another attack.

"Remember your form Sean," Sata said from the sidelines. Reluctantly, Sean pulled himself upright and bowed to Graeme before both took their places again. A good workout or better yet, a good fight had seemed just the thing after that scene with Hudson. It still rankled him even after having a day to cool down, and he had avoided the old gargoyle as much as possible. Still, this wasn't quite what he'd had in mind. He was expected to follow precise rules and stop when his opponent was down rather than pressing his advantage. It provided some relief though, _and so far that gargoyle hasn't laid a finger, er, talon, whatever, on me_.

If Sata knew the details of what had happened the previous night she hadn't said anything. She had simply invited him to participate in their lessons rather than just observe. He was grateful for the diversion, whatever her motives, and decided it didn't matter if she was trying to distract him. Susan had demurred, saying she'd rather just watch for a time, and the Japanese gargoyle had accepted that without comment.

Sean didn't really know what Sata was talking about when she commented on his form or his stance. He simply did what felt right. When his balance was off, he corrected it almost automatically.

Physical training, Sata announced, was over for the night. She called them to sit in a circle in a room Xanatos had set up as a classroom. There was more, she told them, to Bushido than being able to fight. It was a code of conduct, a way of life. Sata focused on how the key aspects of it seemed made for gargoyles. Loyalty, honor, and duty to the clan and protectorate were things that all gargoyles could understand. It was what they were taught from the shell. Sean's attention drifted, not particularly caring about the 'fuzzy' aspects of it.

Sata saw his attention waning, but was tolerant of it. Sean had been raised human and could not be expected to assume gargoyle ways overnight. She swung into a portion of the lesson that she believed might be of more interest to him. It was story time.

The tales she told of gargoyles in Japan and the battles they fought alongside the samurai got his interest again and he listened to what he only later realized were lessons in their own right, with rapt attention. The morals of many of the stories were straightforward and often easy to appreciate. Others required some thought and Sean found himself wondering about them, about the motivations of the characters.

Sometimes what was termed honorable behavior seemed dead wrong to Sean. In other stories, people were punished for simply trying to survive and help people. That had to be wrong. Sata answered his questions patiently, pleased that he was paying such close attention to her stories. The night wore on.

OOOOOOOOOO

Elisa saw Sean and Susan head off with Sata and her children. She returned to Xanatos' office where she, Goliath, and the billionaire could speak privately.

"How did it go today detective?" Xanatos asked without preamble.

"A lot will depend on what Platt does. He's the man Sean beat up," she clarified at their curious looks. "He needed surgery, but he's expected to make a complete recovery. He's facing some pretty serious charges and what the woman he attacked says will make a big difference." She stopped to gather her thoughts. "All right. Chavez called me in this morning…"

OOOOOOOOOO

"What does Platt's victim say?"

"That Platt attacked her in the park, knocked her down, and threatened her with a sharp pair of shears. He used them to cut up her skirt."

"There's no doubt that he was a threat to her?"

"None," Elisa shook her head. "He's got a record of similar offenses, but nothing this severe. Mostly indecent exposure, lewd behavior, that sort of thing."

"So he was building up to this?" Elisa nodded. "Do you think her testimony will stand up in court?"

"It should, on that point," she hedged, thinking of Monica's vague account of her rescue.

"Meaning?"

"The gargoyle who saved her…"

"That's the real problem isn't it?" Chavez pinched the bridge of her nose. "Her statement is a little vague."

"I know. Things happened very quickly-"

"Skip it," Chavez cut her off sharply. "Was the viciousness of his attack in anyway justified?"

Elisa considered her words carefully. "He's young and inexperienced. Platt is twice his size." It was true, as far as it went, "but based on what I've learned… He lost his temper… It seems he has certain issues with rapists." A young gargoyle with psychological problems was not something she wanted to lay on her captain at the moment, but she wasn't going to lie to her captain. "I think he could have subdued Platt with less damage."

"I really don't need this Maza," Chavez answered tiredly. They were still feeling the repercussions of the incident with Malcolm, something that the courts were still hashing out. It seemed that everyone from the ACLU to the ASPCA had an opinion and were demanding that they be heard. _What's that they say about opinions?_ She let the thought go as unhelpful and irrelevant.

"Who was it?"

"Sean."

Chavez stared at her with a sinking feeling. "The boy that used to be human." Elisa nodded. "Do you have any idea what will happen if there is a full investigation into this matter?" Elisa nodded. "Offer me an alternative."

"The boy has problems captain, we knew this, but his reaction to Platt and what he was doing was something we couldn't have foreseen." She gave the captain the particulars of the incident as she learned them from Goliath, holding back nothing. "Goliath has assured me that Sean will be staying home for the foreseeable future. They're working with him, trying to help him work out his problems, but this is a unique situation."

"And none of them has a degree in psychology," the captain finished, frowning. She was silent for a time, considering their options. "I don't think there are any experts that would be of service in this instance, and I'd rather keep this out of the courts. Malcolm is causing us enough headaches."

"I don't want to subject Sean to something like that captain. It could only do further damage, even if the doctors were well intentioned." She winced. "And I don't need to tell you what will happen if the entire story comes out. Sevarius, hybrids…" She trailed off.

"No. You don't." Chavez gazed at her best detective with a pensive expression. "He's in the best hands right now. Very well. We'll have to see what Platt says when he's able to talk, but for now… Keep Sean at home, under careful supervision."

THE END

FOR NOW


End file.
